Devices for applying eye medication solutions to the eye have ranged from the simple eyedropper to soft-sided squeezable plastic eyedrop containers having an integral dropper outlet to fairly complex soft-sided squeezable plastic eyedrop container designs to devices with many assembled parts. The soft-sided squeezable plastic eyedrop containers range from the most popular cylindrical and rectangular cross-sectional containers to more complex designs which currently appear to have attracted little, if any, commercial interest. A review of U.S. patents revealed the following designs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,794 is directed towards a device, which rests on the facial area around the eye, for use with a conventional eyedropper bottle. The eyedropper bottle is surrounded by a pair of loosely hinged pincer wings which when squeezed squeeze the eyedropper bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,495 is directed towards a simple device which hold the neck of a conventional eyedropper bottle. The device is held by one hand while the other hand squeezes the eyedropper bottle directly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,020 discloses a device having a long eyedropper tube which is connected to an eyedropper bottle. The dropper tube is surrounded by a dispensing sleeve made of elastomeric material which rests on the facial area around the eye. The user squeezes the device which squeezes the eyedropper tube which releases the eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,986 discloses a complex device having a piston-like or accordion-like dispenser-vial, a trigger and a projecting finger for engaging the lower eye lid. When the trigger is depressed, a drop of medicament is released.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,154,711 and 5,059,188 are directed towards devices with sighting apertures which hold the neck of an eyedropper bottle and rest on the user""s forehead and/or nose. The eyedropper bottle is squeezed directly by the user to release eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,946,452 and 4,792,334 and 4,543,096 are directed towards various devices which hold eyedropper bottles and push the user""s eyelids apart simultaneously as the device is squeezed to release the eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,944 discloses a facially contoured device for resting on the facial area surrounding the eye socket, and for holding an eyedropper or eyedropper container. The device has a sighting aperture. The eyedropper or eyedropper container is squeezed directly by the user to release eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,430 is directed towards a mirrored sighting device for holding an eyedropper or eyedropper bottle. The eyedropper or eyedropper bottle is squeezed directly by the user to release the eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,403 is directed towards a simple device which holds an eyedropper bottle and rests on the user""s nose. The eyedropper bottle is squeezed directly by the user to release eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,590 discloses a simple tripod-like device for holding the outlet-neck portion of an eyedropper bottle. The device rests on the user""s nose, cheekbone and brow. The eyedropper bottle is squeezed directly by the user to release eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,636 is directed towards a specially designed eyedropper bottle having an offset projection for resting on the user""s nose. The eyedropper bottle is squeezed directly by the user to release eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,058,466 discloses a simple device which holds the neck of an eyedropper bottle and rests on the user""s cheekbone and brow. The eyedropper bottle is squeezed directly by the user to release eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,592 is directed towards a device for holding the outlet end of an eyedropper over the eye. While the device is resting on the user""s nose, the eyedropper is squeezed directly by the user to release eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,382,771 discloses a mirrored sighting device for holding and viewing simultaneously the eye and the eyedropper tip. The eyedropper is squeezed directly by the user to release eyedrops.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,115 discloses a complex device, having many parts, for washing the eye while holding back the eyelids. The device contains a squeezable chamber for holding fresh eyewash solution and a collection chamber for collecting the waste or dirty eyewash solution drained from the eye.
This invention is directed to ophthalmic devices for use with the popular soft-sided squeezable plastic eyedrop containers usually found in all drug stores in the Americas. Such eyedropper containers usually have a round or rectangular cross section.
Self medication of the eye is difficult for many since positioning the eyedropper container close to the eye, while keeping the eye open just as the container is squeezed requires resisting the natural reaction to blink to prevent a foreign substance from entering the eye. For many seniors, coordinating simultaneous positioning and squeezing of the container becomes even more difficult, often resulting in missing the eye and/or over medicating. Therefore, there is a need for an ophthalmic device which holds the eyedropper container, allows easy alignment of the outlet of the eyedropper container over the eye, and requires only a relatively quick and small force to release one eyedrop, or a predetermined small number of eyedrops, per squeeze. This invention is directed to such an ophthalmic device.
In this invention an alignment means which rests on a facial area steadies the device as the device is squeezed between the thumb and the index finger. Usually the right hand is used for the right eye and the left hand is used for the left eye.
In this invention a pair of lever arm members allows the eyedropper container to be easily and quickly squeezed with less force than required to depress the eyedropper container directly by the user""s fingers.
In one embodiment of this invention sighting apertures are provided which enable the user to easily determine when the outlet of the eyedropper container is over the eye, either over the sclera, or white of the eye, or if desired over the cornea.
Accordingly, there is provided by the principles of the present invention an ophthalmic device for facilitating dispensing of an eyedrop from a resilient eyedrop container having an eyedrop dispensing outlet. The ophthalmic device comprises an upper body portion having a front portion, a first lever arm member rigidly connected to the front portion and extending in a longitudinal direction therefrom, and a second lever arm member rigidly connected to the front portion and extending in a longitudinal direction therefrom. The distal ends of the first and second lever arm members are spaced apart. An opening is provided in the upper body portion effective for receiving the eyedrop container with the outlet pointing down.
The ophthalmic device provides means effective for reducing the cross-sectional area of the opening when the lever arm members are squeezed together thereby facilitating compressing the eyedrop container when received in the opening sufficiently for causing an eyedrop to be dispensed. The ophthalmic device also includes alignment means attached to the upper body portion. The alignment means has a lower distal end for resting on an user facial area, thereby facilitating maintaining the outlet of the eyedropper container in alignment with a recipient eye while the lever arm members are squeezed together to dispense the eyedrops.
In one embodiment of this invention the upper body portion is unitary in construction. In another embodiment, the entire ophthalmic device is unitary in construction. In still another embodiment, the ophthalmic device has a shape effective for being produced from plastic material by injection molding. In yet another embodiment, the shape of the ophthalmic device is effective for producing from plastic material in a single injection molding step.
In one embodiment of this invention the ophthalmic device is free of hinges, pivots or parts which rotate or pivot or slide with respect to other parts.
In one embodiment of this invention the opening for receiving the eyedropper container is round. In another embodiment, the opening is rectangular. In still another embodiment, the opening is elliptical. Of course, opening 26 may be shaped to fit the cross section of any eyedropper container desired or an adapter provided to convert a round opening 26 to any other shape.
In one embodiment of this invention, the means effective for reducing the opening when the lever arm members are squeezed together includes at least a void space extending in the longitudinal direction between the opening and the lever arm members. In another embodiment, the void space includes eyedrop limitation means effective for preventing dispensing of an over-supply of eyedrops per squeeze of the lever arm members. In still another embodiment, the void space is a narrow slit effective for limiting a maximum number of eyedrops dispersed from the eyedropper container for a single squeeze of the lever arm members to no greater than three. In yet another embodiment, the eyedrop limitation means is effective for facilitating dispensing of but a single eyedrop per squeeze of the lever arm members.
In one embodiment of this invention the means effective for reducing the opening when the lever arm members are squeezed together includes at least one resilient region proximate the opening. In another embodiment, the means effective for reducing the opening when the lever arm members are squeezed together includes at least two diametrically opposing resilient regions proximate the opening.
In one embodiment of this invention the alignment means is attached to the front portion of the upper body portion. In another embodiment, a distal end of the alignment means is concave to enable it to be easily positioned over the bridge of the user""s nose.
One embodiment of this invention further comprises container stop means for seating the eyedrop container in the opening and preventing the outlet of the eyedrop container from extending further than a predetermined distance below the opening. In a further embodiment, the container stop means is located on the alignment means. In a still further embodiment, the container stop means is above the lower distal end of the alignment means and extends partly under the opening of the main body means. In yet a further embodiment, the container stop means conforms to a shoulder of the eyedrop container.
In one embodiment of this invention the ophthalmic device further comprises a sighting aperture for facilitating aligning the outlet of the eyedrop container directly over the recipient eye. In another embodiment, the sighting aperture is in the upper body portion. In still another embodiment, there are two diametrically opposed sighting apertures for the right and left eyes.
Referring to FIG. 3,
L=the distance between the center of the opening 26 and the distal ends of lever arm members 23 and 24, and
D=the diameter of opening 26.
In one embodiment of this invention the ratio, L/D is at least 1.0. In preferred embodiment the ratio, L/D, is at least about 1.5, and in a most preferred embodiment the ratio, L/D, is at least about 2.